This new variety of Ilex vomitoria was found as a sport of Ilex vomitoria `Stokes Dwarf` maintained in the Flowerwood Nursery at Dauphin Island Parkway, Mobile, Ala. The sport was found in September, 1988. The new and distinct Ilex vomitoria plant of this invention comprises a novel and valuable holly plant of dense, compact and attractive mounding habit. This plant is a color sport of `Stokes Dwarf` and exhibits all of ther outstanding attributes of the parent plant but differs primarily from and attractively contrasts with the parent plant in color of new growth. The new growth of this plant is interestingly and clearly red due to anthocyanin, which is of distictly higher concentration than in the parent variety. As with the parent plant, the plant of this invention, which has been named `Condeaux`, may be advantageously employed as a specimen appointment, a ground cover, in either formal or informal groupings, and is quite attractive in mass plantings. The plant serves equally well in foundation plantings or as a single specimen and is adapted for culture as a potted plant. This plant is responsive to pruning and training and may be employed in forming dense, attractive hedges, and maintained without an excessive amount of care. This plant is easy to care for and maintain in size due to its small stature, heavy branching and dense canopy. It is highly drought tolerant, insect and disease tolerant and balanced in growth, and is well adapted to culture in most of the Sunbelt States. Having short internodes, this plant has a natural propensity to remain small and is thereby a valuable contribution to the industry for landscape uses which require a plant which can be maintained in a small size to maturity, so as not to outgrow its intended mature dimensions in home gardens which tend to be smaller by trend.
The low mounding habit of this plant is similar to Ilex cornuta `Rotunda`, however, it doesn't have the dangerous spines which can be a problem when young children are around. This plant can be used in place of Ilex crenata varieties to produce a more colorful landscape which requires less pruning.
Asexual propagation of the new plant by cuttings has been under Mr. Pittman's direction at the same location. The increased number of plants were evaluated and demonstrated stability of the new characteristics from generation to generation.